ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said in the age of social media with unrestricted content available, huge responsibility lied on intellectuals to guide the nation on preserving moral and ethical values.

“Social media is a reality and we cannot put restrictions on it. However, the scholars and intellectuals can inspire the people to distinguish between right and wrong,” he said in his address at the inauguration of the ‘Hall of Fame’, here at the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL).

The prime minister said through the power of words and pens, the intellectuals could help protect the ideology of a nation.

He regretted that the moral and ethical values were gradually eroding, thus giving space for corruption.

Expressing concern over the rising cases of sex crimes in the country, he said, access to immoral content on social media regardless of age restriction was a big factor.

“In today’s Pakistan, the need for an effective input and involvement of our intellectuals has increased manifold,” he said.

He mentioned that the Indian society faced the destruction of the family system as their films promoted objectionable content, and resultantly, New Delhi was titled the ‘rape capital’.

“A nation which fails to distinguish between the right and the wrong loses its character. Ethics and morals are the basic pillars of a strong society,” he said.

Imran Khan urged the scholars to highlight the concept of Muslim societies of the history, where Islam was spread through intellectual power rather than wars.

The prime minister said the main objective of establishing the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority by him was to develop a deeper understanding of the Sunnah besides preservation of the Islamic identity, values, and culture in the face of diverse social and digital media influences.

Stressing the need for an “intellectual revolution” in the country, he said, the government would fully honour the scholars and promote them.

He said establishing the ‘Hall of Fame’ at PAL was an acknowledgement of the contribution of writers and intellectuals.

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said the government’s initiatives for the promotion of arts and literature in the country were in line with strengthening Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of a Naya Pakistan.

The event was attended by Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senators Shibli Faraz, and a large number of writers, poets and intellectuals.